Among the cavalry that came to lift Lattimore's spirits and inspire his rehabilitation was 49ers running back Frank Gore, who'll now became an even closer mentor.

The 49ers drafted Lattimore, one of the nation's most electric running backs in three seasons at South Carolina, in Saturday's fourth round with the 131st overall pick.

"We love him, obviously. He's one heck of a football player, one heck of a young man," general manager Trent Baalke said. "Obviously he's got an injury to overcome, and we're confident he can do that."

Arguably the 49ers' two highest-profile rookies are one who might not play in 2012 (Lattimore) and one who has never played football (British Olympic discus thrower Lawrence Okoye, an undrafted free agent).

Overall, the 49ers came away with an 11-man draft class, headed by Thursday's first-round selection of safety Eric Reid. The other 10 draftees will compete for complementary roles on last year's Super Bowl runners-up.

Lattimore has been doing sprints for two weeks and conceivably could be ready by the Sept. 8 opener. Most likely, he'll spend the season on the reserve/non-football-injury list.

"We're going to slow things down physically," 49ers coach Jim Harbaugh said. "But we love his aggressive mental approach through this process. If he doesn't play this year, he doesn't play this year."

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Gore certainly related to Lattimore's second knee injury in two seasons. Before joining the 49ers as a third-round draft pick in 2005 and becoming their all-time leading rusher, Gore also tore the anterior cruciate ligaments in both of his knees in college, at Miami.

"He told me to keep that positive mindset, and that's what I've been doing the past five or six months," Lattimore said of Gore. "That's why I'm doing so great in my rehab."

A year after tearing his left knee's ACL, Lattimore's final collegiate carry ended when his right knee was struck by a Tennessee defender's helmet.

The 49ers have four other players recovering from ACL tears: wide receivers Mario Manningham and Kyle Williams, linebacker Darius Fleming and defensive tackle Tank Carradine, whom they drafted in Friday's second round.

After Lattimore got hurt last fall, Gore reached out to him through 49ers cornerback Chris Culliver. A fellow South Carolina product, Culliver wore a T-shirt under his 49ers jersey with a handwritten message to Lattimore after the Oct. 27 injury.

Lattimore's NFL outlook changed upon his knee's reconstruction Nov. 2 by Dr. James Andrews. Now he "can't wait" to join the 49ers' "running back family."

"It's still surreal to me," Lattimore said. "This is a great opportunity. It's a great organization, and I can't wait to get there. I've always been a fan of those guys and their style of play."

Gore, who turns 30 on May 14, is coming off his second-most productive rushing season (1,214 yards, eight touchdowns). His main backups last season were Kendall Hunter (torn Achilles on Nov. 25), LaMichael James (2012 second-round pick, fumbled in the Super Bowl) and Anthony Dixon (third-year veteran).

"Frank obviously is very high on the young man and I'm sure he's looking with great pleasure at coming in to mentor the guy," Baalke said.

A native of Duncan, S.C., Lattimore ran for 1,197 yards and scored a school-record 19 touchdowns his freshman year. He ran for 10 and 11 touchdowns in each of the following seasons before his knee injuries.

Three picks before Lattimore's selection, the 49ers found another offensive weapon in Louisiana Tech wide receiver Quinton Patton. Under now-Cal coach Sonny Dykes, Patton put up big numbers over his final two seasons combined: 183 receptions, 2,594 yards and 24 touchdowns.

Daniels will compete with Scott Tolzien and Colt McCoy for backup spots behind Colin Kaepernick. Daniels' best attribute might be his ability to mimic Kaepernick's mobility, especially in read-option formations that Daniels has run since high school.

"With his athleticism, you wonder how many ways he can contribute," Harbaugh said.

Okoye's athleticism also intrigues the 49ers, and Harbaugh marveled at Okoye's 6-foot-6, 306-pound frame during an April 10 visit to the 49ers. Said Harbaugh: "This is an Adonis, just a great physical specimen. Our creator created a beautiful man."

Could the same be said of Baalke's shaping of the 49ers roster?

"It was a heavyweight fight there," Baalke said as he entered his post-draft news conference. Did he win the fight? "You never know."